Supporting apparatus for use in a gravity-free environment

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for stably orienting an animate or inanimate body with respect to a surface, particularly suited for use in a gravityfree environment. A plurality of multilobed support disks are rotatably mounted on the surface to define glide paths. A glide plate, to which the person or other body to be stably oriented is attached, includes a clamping disk having a stem which is movable within the glide paths when the clamping disk is in its released position. At the location at which it is desired to stably orient the person or other body, the clamping disk is moved to its clamped position, thereby holding the glide plate and thus the person or other body in stable orientation with respect to the surface.

United States Patent Inventor Lloyd 0. Barrett 340 N. Stone St., Deland, Fla. 32720 846,809

Aug. 1, 1969 Oct. 12, 1971 Appl. No. Filed Patented SUPPORTING APPARATUS FOR USE IN A GRAVITY-FREE ENVIRONMENT 11 Claims, 11 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 248/36] R, 35/12 0, 104/62, 105/369 A, 211/86, 272 24, 272/70,2s0 11.1

1111. C1. ..A63c 19/10, A63j 5/00, B65j 1/22 Field of Search 280/1 1.1;

272/70, 57 D, 24, 25, 23, 22, 21, 9, 3; 21 1/86, 87; 248/361; 35/29, 12 C; 104/53, 52; 105/369 A, 368 T [56] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 358,993 l/I906 France 272/24 360,523 2/1906 France 272/24 847,792 9/1960 Great Britain 248/361 Primary Examiner-Benjamin Hersh Assistant Examiner-Milton L. Smith Att0meyMorton, Bernard, Brown, Roberts & Sutherland ABSTRACT: Apparatus for stably orienting an animate or inanimate body with respect to a surface, particularly suited for use in a gravity-free environment. A plurality of multilobed support disks are rotatably mounted on the surface to define glide paths. A glide plate, to which the person or other body to be stably oriented is attached, includes a clamping disk having a stem which is movable within the glide paths when the clamping disk is in its released position. At the location at which it is desired to stably orient the person or other body, the clamping disk is moved to its clamped position, thereby holding the glide plate and thus the person or other body in stable orientation with respect to the surface.

PATENTEU 0m 1 2 I97! SHEET 10F 2 20 FIG 4B F IG.4C.

FIG.4A.

19 INV EN'IOII 24 LLOYD O. BARRETT BY w 27 606441; M 925W ATTORNEYS SUPPORTING APPARATUS FOR USE IN A GRAVITY- FREE ENVIRQNMEN'I The present invention pertains to an apparatus for stabilizing objects. More particularly, the present invention pertains to an apparatus by means of which one object can be stably oriented with respect to another inany environment, particularly within a gravity-free environment.

The. exploration of outer space requires extensive probes into gravity-free locations over long periods of time. Thus, for example, at present about three days are required for a spaceship to travel from the earth to the moon. Even on the moon there is less gravitational force than the earth. Full utilization of outer space no doubt will include large space stations at which work is performed for long periods of time. While these space stations may be held by gravity in an orbit around the earth, nevertheless, there will be considerably less gravitational force holding bodies onto the surface of thestations than there is on the surface of the earth. Consequently, as has already been experienced in the limited amount of space travel done to date, both people and inanimate objects are liable to float about within the spaceship or space station because of the lack of gravity. While the lack of gravity results in reduced hazard from such floating, still some degree of hazard is presented, and considerable inconvenience is caused by both people and objects being without stable orientation with the spaceship.

The present invention is an apparatus for stabilizing the orientation of a person or an object and is particularly suited for such stabilizing within a gravity-free environment. A fixed surface is substantially fully covered by rotatably mounted support disks. The person or object to be stably oriented is mounted upon one surface of a glide plate which has aclamping disk extending from its opposite surface and beneath the support disks. The support disks areso shaped and dimensioned that the clamping disk can move therebetween as the supportdisks rotate. Accordingly, the glide plate is free to move over the entire surface. When it is desired to stabilize the glide plate at a particular location, the clamping disk is moved so that one or more support disks are clamped between the clamping disk and the glide plate. Accordingly, the glide plate is held in a fixed position, stably orienting the person or object supported thereby. v

The stable orientation apparatus ofthe present invention can, of course, be utilized in environments in which gravity is felt and might be used in a variety of manners. Thus, for example, if as a part of modern architecture, one wall of a room is covered by support disks, then pictures, lamps orother objects might be attached at any desired location on the wall by means of a glide plate. Additionally, the apparatus of the present invention might be utilized in an amusement device by having a floor covered with support disks and providing glide plates by means of which persons are able to glide across the floor in a manner similar to roller skating.

These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention are apparent in the following detailed description and claims, particularly when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts bear like reference numerals. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a glide plate suitable for use in the present invention;

FIG. 4A, 4B and 4C illustrate a method for determining a suitable shape for the support disks utilized in the present invention; FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of support disks suitable for use in the present invention;

FIG. 6 is utilized to explain the construction of a preferred form of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the glide plate of FIG. 3 and is taken along line 77 of FIG. 3; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate one application of the present invention.

FIGS. 1 and 2 depict a plurality of support disks l2 rotatably mounted on a suitable surface. Glide plate 14 is adapted to support an object or a person s foot and to permit movement across the surface or stable orientation at any desired location on the surface. The particular shape of glide plate 14 is, of course, determined by the shape of the object to be supported. Each support disk 12 is of a shape designed to permit individual rotation about its support axis while allowing passage between adjacent support disks i" stem 16 which connects clamping disk 18 to glide plate 14, as shown in FIG. 3. FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C illustrate one method of determining a preferred shape for the support disks I2. FIG. 4A depicts a square of any convenient size, having sides 19 and comers 20.

A square of 1% inches on a side has been found to result in a suitable support disk. In FIG. 4B, asecond-square is formed by joining the midpoints 22 of each side 19. As illustrated in FIG. 4C, the shape of the support disk 12 is then determined by forming a series of tangential convex and concave curves. Utilizing each midpoint 22 as center and any convenient radius r,, a semicircle 24 is drawn outside'each side 19 to define each lobe 25 of disk 12. Then, utilizing the corners 20 as centers, curves are drawn within sides 19 tangential with the semicircles 24 to form concave portions 27 between adjacent lobes 25, and completing the outline of support disk I2, Each support disk 12, thus, has four equal-sized lobes 25 equally spaced about itsperiphery.

As shown in FIG. 5, each support disk 12 is rotatably mounted on structural surface 26 by means of a pedestal 28 which is formed integrally with surface 26. Surface 26 is then attached to a suitable supporting surface within the area in which objects are to be stably oriented. It has'been'found desirable to have r,, the radius of the convex portions of disks 12, be not less than the outer diameter of the support I pedestals 28.

The support disk 12 might be rotatably mounted to pedestals 28 in any suitable manner. FIG. 5 depicts three illuspreventing withdrawal of support disk 120. Support disk 12b includes a plurality of stiff but flexible fingers 33 integrally formed on the under surface of disk 12b and passing through pedestal 28b to rotatably secure disk 12b to surface 26. An opening 34 is provided in the surface of disk 12b so that a withdrawal tool can be inserted to grip the fingers 33 and squeeze them together so that support disk 12b can be removed from surface26. Support disk 12c is simply bolted to its pedestal 28c which includes an upper surface 36.While the particular type of mounting arrangement utilized is to some extent dependent upon theparticular application, the easily removable fingers of disk 12b are generally preferred.

In FIG. 6 there is shown a plan view of one support disk 12 having a square circumscribed thereabout. If the length of a side of that square is a and if, as depicted in FIG. 5, the distance between center lines of adjacent pedestal 28 is b, then it is preferred that b=l6a/l5. Thus, illustratively, if the length a of each side of the square is 1 7/8, the spacing b between adjacent pedestals might be 2 inches.

FIG. 7 depicts the internal construction of an illustrative form of glide plate 14. Plate l4 includes an upper surface 38 and a lower surface 40 joined together by side surfaces 42 to form a hollow member. Stem 16, which is attached to clamping disk 18, passes through an opening in lower surface to substantially centered transversely on glide plate 14 and near one longitudinal end thereof. Stem 16 preferably has a diameter one-eighteenth the distance between centers of adjacent support disks 12. Thus, if the support disks 12 are spaced 2 inches between centers, stem 16 preferably has a diameter of one-ninth inch. Clamping disk 18 preferably has a diameter one-half the distance between centers of adjacent support disks l2, and thus in the above illustrative example preferably is 1 inch in diameter. Within glide plate 14, stem 16 is rotatably connected to one end of lever 44. Stem 16 then approaches but does not enter guide 41. Spring 43 acts between guide 41 and lever 44 to bias disk 18 downwardly form lower surface 40 of glide plate 14. Control knob 46 is connected to stem 48 which passes through an opening in upper surface 38 of glide plate 14 substantially centered transversely on plate 14 and near the second longitudinal end of the glide plate. Within glide plate 14, stem 48 is rotatably connected to the second end of lever 44. Lever 44 is rotatably supported at its approximate midpoint by fulcrum 50 which is attached to the inner side of lower surface 40. When control knob 46 is depressed, lever 44 raises stem 16 against the bias of spring 43, causing stem 16 to enter the central opening in guide 41, thereby raising disk 18 toward lower surface 40.

As depicted in FIG. 8, a person having a glide plate 14 attached to his foot, for example, by means of straps 52, is free to move over surface 26 simply by lifting his heel off control knob 46. Spring 43 pushes against stem 16 to maintain clamping disk 18 away from support disks 12. Stem 16 moves freely between adjacent support disks 12, with the disks rotating as needed to permit glide plate 14 to move in either direction longitudinally, laterally, or obliquely at a 45 angle over the surface 26 and in a plane substantially parallel to surface 26.

The spacing between adjacent glide disks l2 and the shape of the disks enable each disk to rotate within its support pedestal 28 and about its central axis, provided the adjacent disks are properly positioned. Thus, as depicted in FIG. 2, with adjacent disks in each column and row of disks positioned upright, as illustrated by disk 12a, each disk can rotate freely without contacting adjacent disks. Should a disk be positioned either obliquely, as illustrated by disk 12d, or in some random manner, as illustrated by disk l2e, when an adjacent disk is rotated, that adjacent disk will contact the obliquely or randomly positioned disk to rotate it to a position in which the adjacent disk freely rotates.

As glide plate 14 moves over surface 26, clamping disk 18 moves beneath support disks 12, and stem 16 moves between adjacent support disks. As can be seen from P168. 1 and 2, glide plate 14 can move in a glide path longitudinally or laterally, so long as the disks 12 between which stem 16 passes are in the upright position illustrated by disk 12a. Additionally, glide plate 14 can move in a glide path obliquely in any direction at a 45 angle to the longitudinal and lateral directions by moving the disks 12 between which stem 16 passes to the oblique position illustrated by disk 12d. Should a randomly positioned disk such as disk l2e be encountered or should the direction of motion of glide plate 14 be oblique, stem 16 contacts disks 12, rotating them to the proper position to allow passage stem 16 therebetween. Thus, glide plate 14 is able to move in glide paths over surface 26 in any longitudinal, lateral, or 45 oblique direction.

As shown in H6. 9, when the person wishes to remain stably oriented in a stationary position, he simply places his weight upon his heel, thereby depressing control knob 46. Lever 44 raises stem 16 upwardly, raising disk 18 to clamp one or more support disks 12 between disk 18 and glide plate 14. Preferably, the upper surface of clamping disk 18 is tapered, as depicted in FIG. 7. This provides a smooth, feathered stopping action when the users weight is initially placed on control knob 46. In addition, it provides a more secure clamping of the support disks 12.

if it is desired to stably orient inanimate objects by means of the present invention, then those objects are secured to a glide plate 14, and suitable releasable means is provided to secure control knob 46 in its depressed position, with glide plate 14 in the desired location. Likewise, if in modern architecture, a building surface is covered with support disks 12, an object such as a lamp or a picture might be releasably secured in its depressed position to hold that object anywhere on the building surface. If the present invention is to be utilized in an amusement device, skaters" would have a glide plate 14 strapped to each foot and could move rapidly across the surface, stopping at any desired location. Other uses might be made, as desired.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for stably orienting a body with respect to a surface comprising a plurality of substantially flat, multilobe support disks, each rotatably mounted on the surface to define glide paths therebetween, and glide plate means adapted for attachment thereto of the body to be stably oriented, said glide plate means including:

a. clamping means having a clamped position in which said glide plate means is clamped to at least one of said support disks and having a released position in which said glide plate means is released to move with respect to the surface and in a plane substantially parallel with said surface, said clamping means including a stem portion adapted to move in the glide paths when said clamping means is in its released position; and

b. control means for selectively moving said clamping means between its clamped position and its released position.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which each support disk has four equal-size, equispaced lobes with tangential concave portions therebetween, each support disk capable of being circumscribed by a square, each side which has a length a, said support disks being mounted on the surface in columns and rows and with a distance b between centers of adjacent support disks in each column and in each row, where b== 16a] 15.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which each support disk is rotatably mounted on the surface by means of a pedestal having a diameter d and in which each lobe has a radius r, where rZd.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which:

a said glide plate means includes a substantially flat, rectangular, hollow member having therein a fulcrum fixedly attached to said hollow member and a lever rotatably attached to said fulcrum;

b said clamping means includes a clamping disk having a stem portion passing into said hollow member and attached to one end of said lever; and

c said control means includes a knob connected to the other end of said lever and bias means to biasing said lever to urge said clamping disk away from said hollow member.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which said clamping disk has:

a conical surface facing said hollow member; and

a diameter D where D,=b/2.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which said stem portion has a diameter D, where D,=b/ l 8.

7. Apparatus for stably orienting a body with respect to a surface comprising a plurality of support disks mounted on the surface to define glide paths therebetween, and glide plate means adapted for attachment thereto of the body to be stably oriented, said glide plate means including:

a a substantially flat, rectangular hollow member;

b. a fulcrum fixedly attached within said hollow member;

0 a lever within said hollow member and rotatably attached to said fulcrum;

d a clamping disk having a stern portion passing into said hollow member and attached to one end of said lever and adapted to assume alternatively a clamped position in which said glide plate means is clamped by said clamping disk to at least one of said support disks and a released position in which said glide plate means is released with said stem portion within the glide paths permitting said glide plate means to move with respect to the surface and in a plane substantially parallel with the surface;

e a control knob having a stem connected to the other end of said lever; and

f bias means for biasing said lever to urge said clamping disk away from said hollow member and under urging of pressure on said control knob permitting said clamping disk to be moved selectively between its clamped position and its released position.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 in which each support disk has four equal-size, equispaced lobes with tangential conradius r, where rzd.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which said clamping disk has:

a conical surface facing said hollow member; and

a diameter D, where D =0] 2.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 in which said stem portion has a diameter D where D b/l 8.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFECATE ()F CGRECTEGN Patent No. 3,6l2 l65 Dated OCTOBER 12 1971 Inventor(s) LLOYD O. BARRETT It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 38, "be" should read -by?-.

Column 2, line 58, l 7H8 should read -l-',/8--.

Column 3, line 3, "form" should read -f2-om-.

@ Column 1, line #0 "to" should read --for-.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of A il 1972.

(SEAL) Autest:

EJDKJAHD M.I-LEIGFJR,JR. RUBERT GOTISCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents {39-1059 ($59) USCGMM-DC 60376-P69 w UYS, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 969 O-35$'334 

1. Apparatus for stably orienting a body with respect to a surface comprising a plurality of substantially flat, multilobe support disks, each rotatably mounted on the surface to define glide paths therebetween, and glide plate means adapted for attachment thereto of the body to be stably oriented, said glide plate means including: a. clamping means having a clamped position in which said glide plate means is clamped to at least one of said support disks and having a released position in which said glide plate means is released to move with respect to the surface and in a plane substantially parallel with said surface, said clamping means including a stem portion adapted to move in the glide paths when said clamping means is in its released position; and b. control means for selectively moving said clamping means between its clamped position and its released position.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which each support disk has four equal-size, equispaced lobes with tangential concave portions therebetween, each support disk capable of being circumscribed by a square, each side which has a length a, said support disks being mounted on the surface in columns and rows and with a distance b between centers of adjacent support disks in each column and in each row, where b 16a/15.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which each support disk is rotatably mounted on the surface by means of a pedestal having a diameter d and in which each lobe has a radius r, where r d.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which: a said glide plate means includes a substantially flat, rectangular, hollow member having therein a fulcrum fixedly attached to said hollow member and a lever rotatably attached to said fulcrum; b said clamping means includes a clamping disk having a stem portion passing into said hollow member and attached to one end of said lever; and c said control means includes a knob connected to the other end of said lever and bias means to biasing said lever to urge said clamping disk away from said hollow member.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which said clamping disk has: a conical surface facing said hollow member; and a diameter D1, where D1 b/2.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which said stem portion has a diameter D2 where D2 b/18.
 7. Apparatus for stably orienting a body with respect to a surface comprising a plurality of support disks mounted on the surface to define glide paths therebetween, and glide plate means adapted for attachment thereto of the body to be stably oriented, said glide plate means including: a a substantially flat, rectangular hollow member; b. a fulcrum fixedly attached within said hollow member; c a lever within said hollow member and rotatably attached to said fulcrum; d a clamping disk having a stem portion passing into said hollow member and attached to one end of said lever and adapted to assume alternatively a clamped position in which said glide plate means is clamped by said clamping disk to at least one of said support disks and a released position in which said glide plate means is released with said stem portion within the glide paths permitting said glide plate means to move with respect to the surface and in a plane substantially parallel with the surface; e a control knob having a stem connected to the other end of said lever; and f bias means for biasing said lever to urge said clamping disk away from said hollow member and under urging of pressure on said control knob permitting said clamping disk to be moved selectively between its clamped position and its released position.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 in which each support disk has four equal-size, equispaced lobes with tangential concave portions therebetween, each support disk being substantially flat and capable of being circumscribed by a square, each side which has a length a, said support disks being rotatably mounted on the surface in columns and rows and with a distance b between centers of adjacent support disks in each column and in each row, where b 16a/15.
 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which each support disk is rotatably mounted on the surface by means of a pedestal having a diameter d and in which each lobe has a radius r, where r d.
 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which said clamping disk has: a conical surface facing said hollow member; and a diameter D1, where D1 b/
 2. 11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 in which said stem portion has a diameter D2 where D2 b/18. 